Kansas City woman pleads guilty to murder, assault after son drowned in bathtub
A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty in the drowning of her 8-year-old son and the attempted smothering of her younger son inside her Northland home four years ago, according to prosecutors.
Aushena Warren, 33, entered her plea on Friday in Platte County Circuit Court on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree assault. County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said his office is seeking a life sentence for the “horrific crimes.”
“It’s almost impossible to comprehend the trauma this six-year-old boy has experienced as a result of his mother trying to kill him,” Zahnd said in a statement. “And it’s even sadder to think about his older brother’s life being extinguished at age eight by his own mother.
“Justice demands a life sentence for these nearly unimaginable crimes, and that’s exactly the sentence we will seek in this case.”
On June 13, 2017, Warren’s husband returned home from work and found the body of Audrick Warren, wearing underwear and Spider-Man socks lying in the bathtub filled with water, inside the residence in the 5800 block of North London Avenue. Paramedics declared Audrick dead at the scene.
According to court documents, Aushena Warren was left home with the two children. Her husband later received a FaceTime call from the other child, who was saying he could not find the mother, Aushena Warren.
An autopsy report concluded that Audrick had a bruise on the top of his skull and that he died from drowning. Prosecutors said Aushena Warren did not call 911, try to contact authorities or seek medical help after Audrick apparently drowned.
According to prosecutors, Aushena Warren first tried to smother her younger son in his bed. Investigators later found Aushena Warren had made internet searches with phrases including “how long does it take to drown,” “how long does it take to suffocate someone” and “missouri women prison.”
Aushena Warren jumped off the Bond Bridge in an apparent suicide attempt that morning. She was rescued by Kansas City Fire Department members who happened to be conducting training at the time.
Warren also left a note behind, according to prosecutors. She apologized to family and “the world” in the letter, saying she “had to save us from this financial crisis.”
“There was no way to fund our lives and I blame myself for that,” the letter said. “ I had to save the babies from wondering why their parents had to give them up to family or the system.”
Warren is scheduled to be sentenced in November.
The Star’s Glenn E. Rice contributed to this report.
